TW: This blog post touches on body image and may be triggering to those previously or currently affected by body dysmorphia or eating disorders. There are links at the bottom of this post if you are struggling and need help.
I was inspired to write this post after watching two ‘outfits of the week’ videos; one was of a plus-size model and the other was of a famous YouTuber who happened to be thin. I was shocked to see that the comment section for both videos was full of negative, hurtful remarks tearing these women down and judging them based on their looks – something I thought we had all outgrown.
What struck me most of all was the realisation that the relationship between us and our bodies has become so toxic. When we are constantly being bombarded by unattainable or unrealistic beauty standards on social media, it places a value on our appearance. It feels as though people (especially women) are unable to live their lives without constant judgment of their bodies or pressure to change them. No one should be defined by their weight, race, or genetics, but unfortunately, society's harmful beauty standards have trained us all to take a person at face value.
Image source: Dazed
I couldn’t help but wonder if we have undone the efforts to improve body positivity and inclusivity over the years. Isn’t it time to stop having opinions on our own and other people’s bodies? Why can’t we seem to let go of these damaging tendencies, self-deprecation, and horrible images we have of ourselves? What is behind our insecurities and low self-esteem?
The fashion and beauty industries are the puppeteers, manipulating the strings behind these issues and controlling the way we view ourselves. These industries purposefully fluctuate bodies in their advertising, making a different body type a ‘trend’ every other month. This problem surged during the ‘heroin chic’ era of the 2000s, where using images of underweight models in their marketing to sell ideas or products to impressionable teens and adults became the norm.
Image source: Pinterest
Our bodies should never be trends that companies profit from. These unattainable beauty standards have encouraged the world to be motivated solely by appearance, resulting in generations of self-loathing. Fortunately, many people have recognized how detrimental this has been to self-esteem, and as a result, body positivity movements have emerged to show people the importance of self-love and owning their identity.
The Body Positivity Movement
The body positivity movement isn’t just about weight; it’s about including bodies of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and races that have not previously been embraced or represented properly. It’s about trying to get to a place where those presented in mainstream media are simply healthy and happy individuals regardless of what they look like.
Image source: Popsugar
The movement itself certainly has good intentions and has helped so many people start their journey to self-love, but recently, the fashion and beauty industries have begun using it as a mechanism to generate profit. Unfortunately, it seems that once anything is monetised it has the ability to turn toxic. With industries leaping on the body positivity bandwagon while simultaneously pressuring individuals to achieve the ‘perfect’ or 'desired' look, there is a growing concern that any progress the body positivity movement has made could be undone. In order to stop this from happening, these industries must take responsibility for their actions and be transparent about their intentions to support the movement – profiting over people’s bodies and contributing to mental illness must come to an end.
I personally believe that the focus needs to be taken off the way we look. We need to take a step back and figure out the underlying reasons why we are hyper fixated on our bodies and the way we look, and who we are trying to achieve this unattainable beauty standard for. Rather than being for ourselves, it’s likely an attempt to conform to the industries that are controlling the way we view ourselves, which is damaging to our self-worth and not to mention, costing a lot of money. After all, our lives have a much deeper meaning than what we look like on the outside.
It’s time to support the body positivity movement and that means appreciating and respecting someone regardless of the way they look. Society should value people for being their true, authentic selves rather than for their appearance – it’s about going beyond what’s on the surface. Just as there is no one size fits all, there is no one beauty standard that fits all.
Chiara Sciurba
The Fashion Society
Helpful links if you are currently struggling with body image or recovering:
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